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Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the initial part of the UN-endorsed Gaza ceasefire proposal is close to completion, stating that the next phase must include the demilitarization of Hamas.

Forthcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli premier stated he would address the future steps later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were formalized in a UN Security Council resolution on 17 November.

“We’re about to finish the first stage,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to guarantee that we achieve the equivalent results in the next stage, and that’s something I anticipate addressing with President Trump.”

European Leader Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a joint news conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who commented: “Phase two must begin now and then the third phase must also be examined.”

Merz is the initial leader of a significant European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court released arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and his ex- defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in November last year for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegations in Gaza.

After winning federal elections in February, Merz had indicated he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a trip was not at this time planned. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “baseless allegations” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Terms of the Ongoing Ceasefire

During the first phase of the existing ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the final 20 surviving Israeli hostages in return for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 remains of hostages killed during the war. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a ceasefire line, resulting in them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was put into effect on 10 October, Israeli forces have been responsible for the deaths of over 360 Palestinians, including an estimated 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Hamas military actions over the identical period.

Future Stages and Ambiguous Timeline

Neither Trump’s proposals, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which mostly endorsed them, set out a schedule transitioning the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to retreat more, and an international stabilization force is to be created under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders led by Trump, overseeing a administrative Palestinian committee to run daily administration of Gaza.

The order of these steps is not clear in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his comments on Sunday, Netanyahu focused on Hamas disarmament.

“I think it’s important to make sure that Hamas abides not only with the ceasefire, but also with their commitment which they undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarized,” he stated.

Possible Alternatives and Diplomatic Stances

Netanyahu raised the possibility of “alternatives” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not exclude Israeli annexation of the West Bank, describing it as a subject of “debate”, and reiterated that Israel was firmly opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process supported by most European and Arab governments as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Warrants and Legal Proceedings

Netanyahu said the primary reason he would not be able to make a reciprocal visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he described as manufactured by the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of shifting focus from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any wrongdoing, but stepped down from his role in May awaiting the outcome of an inquiry.

Netanyahu remarked Khan was “damaging the standing of the ICC” with “unfounded charges of starvation and acts of genocide” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Another tribunal, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is weighing up allegations that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry found that Israel had carried out genocide.

Questioned about the possibility of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz told reporters on Sunday: “There is little cause to discuss this at the moment.”